Paradox
by MirrorImage003
Summary: She couldn't help but let out a content sigh. She had never felt this happy before in her life. Even if the city lights and all the pollution clouded most of the stars, Natasha still found wonder in the few that she could see. It was like how all of their lives were veiled by fogs of their issues and pasts, but they still shone out bright enough for anyone to see. Team fic


Hey everyone! So recently I've been obsessed with the Avengers! I love reading fics on the team also. SO here's my take on a team story. It's pretty cute but can also be serious. Have fun reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own Avengers (I wish) or any of it's characters... but I do own this particular story!

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"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't."

Her left eye twitched as she looked at the infuriating man across the table. "_Yes. I do_."

"You know, repeating things gets you no where in life." He smirked sardonically. She glared at him, their gazes locking. The stare-down began.

Bruce, who had been watching the whole arguement, had to hold back a chuckle. He rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his tea. He doubted that either one would give up until they won. The doorway to the huge kitchen opened as the other Avengers walked in.

"What's going on here?" Steve questioned as he saw the two feuding. Their eyes had started to water as they refused to be the first to blink. They remained stubborn and ignored his question.

"Stark said that Natasha didn't have a sense of humor," Bruce piped up. "Natasha thinks she does. So now they're acting like little children in order to make a point."

Clint laughed, plopping himself in the chair beside Natasha. Bruce observed how his foot had instantly raised itself onto the red-head's seat, and he couldn't help but wonder if the two assassins had anything _going on_. If you know what he meant. He didn't have much time to think about it, however, as Tony began to speak.

"We aren't acting like kids. _She's_ the one who can't even admit something to herself." He quipped without breaking their gaze.

"And he's the one to stupid to realize the truth of the matter." She replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

"And what's that, lovely?" He asked patronizingly. He leaned forward in his chair, resting his chin on his fists with a fake look of interest.

"First of all, I already told you that just because I don't laugh or goof of like you, it doesn't mean I don't have a sense of humor." She reclined her chair until it balanced on its two back legs. "Second, don't make that face. It's even worse than your usual appearance."

"You humans are so petty." Thor chuckled as he took a seat in between Clint and Tony. He was often amused at the antics of these Midgardians. Steve came to sit on Natasha's otherside, a smile playing on his lips.

Their eyes began to squint from lack of moisture. One of them was bound to give up soon. Tony suddenly lunged forward with a cocky smile, waving a hand in Natasha's face in order to trick her reflexes into blinking. He didn't anticipate her other reflexes jumping in as well.

The red-head snapped up her hand, grabbing his outstretched arm, and flipped him onto the table. All without blinking. She smirked when she saw Stark's dazed expression, and his rapidly blinking eyelids.

"You blinked." She said it in her trademark monotone voice, but Tony could practically feel her gloating.

"That probably wasn't one of my smarter moves." He groaned as he pushed himself off the table, dangling his legs over the edge.

"I didn't know you where capable of making a smart move." She taunted almost playfully. The others laughed along, enjoying the little competition.

"Haha. Very funny." He deadpanned, but they all knew he was having just as much fun as the rest of them. "I take it back, maybe you do have a sense of humor. But you shouldn't be talking. Who's the one who invented the Iron Man suit? Who's the one who happens to be a major philanthropist? Hmmm?" He questioned haughtily.

"Who's the one who can kick your ass in a fight? Who's the world's best spy? Hmmm?" She shot back, a teasing grin on her face.

"Excuse me?" He asked in fake shock, placing a hand over his chest. "I thought I was the one who took on like a billion aliens!"

Natasha's lips formed a sly smirk, and her gaze flicked over to Steve before resting back on Tony. "Big man in a suit of armor. Take that away and what are you?"

Steve turned red as the others busted up laughing. Thor threw back his head letting out a hardy laugh, Clint clutched his sides in effort to breathe, and Bruce choked on his tea, nearly doing a spit take.

"Okay, okay," Tony managed to say through his laughter. "I admit, that was funny. You definitely got Captain Sparkly over there pretty good."

"Hey!" Steve objected. "I may have stars and stripes, but I am_ not _sparkly!"

"Really?" Clint asked teasingly. "Because when I see you, something definitely screams 'Edward.' "

The others started laughing again, save for Steve and Thor who still had yet to discover the Twilight series. This didn't stop Steve from arguing back, however.

"At least I'm not a wannabe cupid!" He jeered good-naturedly. It effectively cut off Clint's laughter as he realized that he was now the object of attention.

"I prefer to be called Legolas." He sniffed in mock arrogance.

"Nah, I think you're more of a Katniss." Tony supplied with a wide grin on his face. Natasha's smirk broadened the tiniest bit.

"Actually, I think I caught him reading the books once." She added with a provocative smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Clint denied with a pout. "Besides, Katniss could beat all of your asses!"

"Really?" Tony asked. "You think she could shoot down a one-ton, rampaging, green rage monster?"

Bruce nearly spit again. He never thought that he would be the target of their teasing. Pushing his glasses higher on his nose, he took the remaining seat between Tony and Steve.

"Clint, if you say yes, I might just hulk out on you." He added with a smile, joining the conversation.

"Say yes, Clint!" Tony said with a look of childish excitement. The archer only chuckled before focusing on the god across from him.

"So, Thor," He began. "You never told us who won. You or the Hulk?"

"Ah," The god let out a deep laugh. "That was one fight I do not wish to repeat! The one called Hulk was a very worthy opponent."

"So who won?" Clint repeated.

There was a slight pause as Thor and Bruce thought back, before they both answered, "I did."

Their eyes met in brief surprise, before they soon had a look of defiance. "I believe I won that battle." The Avengers heard Thor annouce.

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because if I recall correctly, I think _I_ won." The others watched in confusion and slight apprehension.

There was a tense moment of silence as the two sized each other up. Natasha half expected a fight. She doubted she would be able to stop either of them if a brawl did occur.

Suddenly, an unexpected smile broke out on both their faces, allowing the previously lighter atmosphere to cut the tension. "Let us call it a truce, my friend!" Thor's jovial voice boomed in the air. "We both had a rather fair match."

"I agree." Bruce answered with a chuckle. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sore from that particular fight."

The others once again relaxed in their seats, enjoying their downtime. Sometime within the hour, beers had been brought out for everyone, except Banner. He always avoided alcohol just in case he had an "incident." The table was filled with laughter as they shared stories.

"So, when I walked into the club and I finally found her," Clint said in the middle of telling a story about a vacation gone wrong. By now it was late in the evening.

"Clint!" Natasha protested, though she still had a smile on her face.

"She was completely drunk off of vodka," He just carried on, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Clint." Natasha said in a warning tone.

"And she had somehow managed to not only get everyones attention by standing on the bar and stripping off her clothes, but she was also-"

"Clint, I swear-"

"-wearing-"

"-I will castrate-"

" 'I love Justin Beiber' underwear!"

"CLINT!"

The table erupted in laughs once again, the joyous attitude spreading like a wildfire. Bruce knew that the story itself wasn't all that exciting, but the sheer image of the usually serious assassin caused hilarity none the less. He assumed the drinks also contributed. It was incredibly amusing to watch the others on their alcohol buzzes, and although he was completely sober, Bruce was still enjoying himself just as much.

"It's not as bad as the time in seventh grade when Bucky found me in the girls bathroom wearing a pink dress with lipstick smeared all over my face!" The others could barely breathe as Steve remembered his long-ago past. "I_ still _don't know what exactly happened!"

"I recall a time in my younger days," Thor began, "when Loki and I were very bored at a celebration meeting, and we set a mini explosive in the... what do you call it here... cake? Yes, cake. We intended for it to go off on all the nobles. Unfortunately, my father, King of Asgard, was the unlucky fellow who had the 'honor' of cutting the cake."

Everyone leaned in with childish glee, anticipating what was to come.

"As soon as the dagger touched the cake, it spewed the pastry all over my father's best ceremonial robes!" Thor cried with a smile. "The King was so mad, we were ordered to clean the horse stables for three weeks!"

Tony could barely keep from falling off his chair in a fit of laughter. He knew that no one had had enough beer to be drunk, but they all sounded intoxicated. He supposed it was their way of releasing all the stress from the past weeks. No matter what, he would never forget this night. For once, the world's fate wasn't hanging on their shoulders. The only thing on their minds was who got to play story-teller next.

Once they could all breathe again, things started to settle down.

Natasha held the bottle of her beverage by the neck, swishing it around between her knees. She looked back up with a soft smile gracing her lips, trying to meet everyones eyes at once.

"You know," She began, straightening up. "I haven't really had the easiest life. God knows none of us have. I practically grew up brainwashed, raised believing that I would only be capable of killing. My whole life I carried red on my hands, I knew I was a murderer. Nobody cared about me, I was just an asset, just the Black Widow. I honestly believed that that was all I would ever be. But, you guys have shown me a way out, a way to leave it all behind. I know now that there_ is _a way for me to redeem myself."

She pushed aside a lock of her curly red hair, taking a deep breath. Sharing her backstory and getting involved with mushy stuff definitely wasn't her forte, but right then, she could make an exception.

"Trust has always been an issue for me, but I know that I can trust all of you with not only my secrets, but also with my life. I've never been able to say something like that before to anyone besides Clint. For the first time, I'm not just the Black Widow. I'm Natasha Romanoff, kick-ass video game player, a girl that 'might have a sense of humor,' and a member of the Avengers family." She smiled again, her green eyes twinkling. "I'm really glad I have you guys."

"Tasha's right." Clint added. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. "Our lives have been hell. I never had any hope growing up as a kid. With both my parents dead, I didn't really have anything to hold on to. The only one there for me was my brother, and even then it was always 'Be like Barney,' or 'Money is everything.' Trust me, circuses are not all fun and games. When S.H.I.E.L.D. recruited me, it literally saved my life. To be honest, I don't know how much more I could've taken if I didn't have you guys backing me up. Things like tonight remind me of why I'm here, and why it's worth the effort."

The others murmured their agreement, touched with the gratitude coming from two of the world's best assassins.

"When I first woke up in that fake room," Steve half whispered. "I didn't really know what to think. I kind of freaked out. I was so lost, and the only thing keeping me alive was denial of the truth. I didn't want to believe that everyone I knew and loved was dead. I didn't want to listen to anything anyone had to say about the past. I was afraid to _let go _of the past. All my regrets came back like a smack in the face. Everything I should've done or said made it even more painful to remember. There were so many mistakes I wished I had made right before I left. I felt so out of place here. I felt so alone."

The room was silent as all attention remained on the super soldier. No one dared to break the moment, not even Stark.

"But now, sitting with you guys, I don't feel so left out. I'm not so lost." He looked up from his hands, the usual tightness in his face was gone, leaving behind relaxed, grey-blue eyes. "Accepting reality isn't so difficult anymore."

Bruce shifted in his chair, letting his arms rest on the table in front of him. The others turned their attention to the brown-haired scientist. He felt like it was his turn to contribute.

"Ever since I hurt Betty, and killed all those people, I always considered half of myself as a monster. I refused to acknowledge that the other guy is part of me, hence why I refer to him as 'the other guy.' I always lied to myself, saying that maybe I could've controlled him, or that he was a completely different person. It hurt when reality finally hit, and that's why I attempted suicide." He paused, allowing a satisfied sigh to escape his lips. "But like Steve said, with you guys, it isn't so hard to accept the truth. And it doesn't hurt as bad either. Now, instead of seeing him only as a monster, I've realized that he can also be a hero."

Thor downed his third beer. Since he was accustomed to stronger beverages from his home planet, the tangy drink didn't have much of an effect on him. He fiddled with the hilt of his hammer that was laying beside his chair, allowing the nostalgic mood to settle. After a few minutes of silence, he finally cleared his throat and looked up, his fingers still idly running along the ancient engravings on his beloved hammer. It gave him comfort to know it was there.

"Before my first visit to Earth," He began with his foreign accent. "I had been banished from my home due to my own foolish pride. It was that same pride that started this mess in the first place."

His deep voice vibrated through the others as they were drawn into his past.

"You see, because Loki was adopted and I was the one who gained most of my father's attention, he grew bitter. I was also the one to receive the throne from my father, adding to my brother's jealousy. When he had turned on us, I did not understand his motives. In my sight, he was not a tainted and dangerous misfit, but he was my younger brother. I never suspected that I was the cause for his sudden change in character."

Natasha leaned in slightly, intrigued by the past of the God of Mischief. Until now, he had always been a cruel, evil alien. She had never entertained the thought that maybe he was just another hurting person, like herself.

"For a long time, I felt as if it was my fault that such a great trouble had arose. I continued to feel guilty, deceiving myself into believing that had I acted differently, Loki would never be evil. But as I sit with all of you, my friends, and listened to your troubles, I have realized that maybe we are not so different after all. I now know that what happened with Loki was not my fault, nor my choice. Coming to your planet has shown me many valuable lessons I never could have learned on Asgard. I thank you for your valiance and honor, and I apologize on behalf of my brother's actions. He did not used to be this way."

Thor's pleading for forgiveness of Loki touched Natasha's heart. If she were in his position, she probably would've given up on Loki and locked him up forever, not continue to pursue the good in him. The others fell into a comfortable silence, reclining in their seats.

"Guess its my turn to share, kiddies." Tony spoke up after a few moments. He took a long swig of his beer. No one really new much about his past. He felt the alcohol affecting him slightly, taking off the edge to his usual sarcasm.

"I bet none of you really know my past. I tend to avoid it. Actually, I try to _forget _it." The way he said it wasn't out of self-pity, it was more matter-of-fact. "My father was pretty much the man I looked up to throughout my childhood, at least until I was old enough to understand how he treated me. It's not like he was abusive or anything like that, it was more that he was never really there. He always pushed me to do my best in academics, and to be brilliant as a scientist, but he was never the father I needed. In a way, this pressured lifestyle was what caused me to change goals. Instead of striving in my ambitions, I wanted to rebel against my father's expectations, eventually becoming a huge playboy and partyer."

"Don't get me wrong, I love the playboy _and _party life!" He quickly countered, the mischievious light returning to his eyes. The others couldn't help but smile at his cockiness. Steve shook his head but held a smile all the same. But the solemn attitude soon settled again as their chuckles died down.

"I guess it's safe to say that none of us had really healthy parents. It wasn't until Fury butted in last year that I found a tape my father had recorded for me a long time ago, before I was even a teen. In it, he basically told me that the reason he worked so hard was for my future. He tried to create a way for me to succeed, to be the genius he knew I was. It was his own way of loving me. But he failed to realized that I also needed his fatherly love."

This side of Tony was something Natasha had never really seen before. For once, his macho-man act wasn't standing in the way. All his barriers and walls were torn down, revealing just how insecure he was. In a way, it really was like his Iron Man suit. When he had it on, he was able to be the pillar everyone leaned on, the support for the weak. But when you take it off, you're left with someone more vulnerable than you had originally thought.

"I'm not about to say that you guys are a father figure in my life or whatever, cause that would be just plain weird. It _is_ safe to say that you do support me though. You've shown me what a family is really like. Not a messed up, crazy as hell family, but one that actually loves each other. I don't want to sound totally cliche, or cheesy here, but you guys are seriously what keeps me together. The electromagnetic force to my atom, or the marshmellow to my s'more, whatever floats your boat. What I'm trying to say here is that even if I don't act like it or show it, I need you guys, and I'm grateful that you've stuck with me for so long."

Everyone smiled, exchanging glances from across the table. The warm mood sank deep into their hearts, causing them to grin like crazy.

Twenty minutes later, blankets had been spread out on the balcony of the new Avengers Tower. Natasha looked up from her position between Clint and Steve. They all were sprawled out, gazing up at the seemingly endless stars, enjoying the sounds of the city with their companions. It was now late in the night, probably past two, but she didn't really worry about losing sleep. She lay with one arm under her head and the other across her stomach. On her right side, Steve was up on his elbows. Next to him, Thor had his head resting on both his arms. To her left, Clint was sitting up with an arm behind him and his other resting on his bent knee. Bruce sat up, one knee bent with his elbow leaning on it, his fist supporting his chin. Tony was spread-eagled, lazily looking at the dark night sky.

She couldn't help but let out a content sigh. She had never felt this happy before in her life. Even if the city lights and all the pollution clouded most of the stars, Natasha still found wonder in the few that she could see. It was like how all of their lives were veiled by fogs of their issues and pasts, but they still shone out bright enough for anyone to see.

Chuckling softly, she broke the comfortable silence. "Isn't it ironic how a group of completely messed up people are capable of becoming the world's strongest heroes?"

They laughed quietly, reflecting on that insane revelation. Pulling a spare blanket from above her head, Natasha spread it over her and the others. Clint and Bruce laid down so they could be covered as well.

"Let the snuggle fest begin!" Tony remarked with a grin. Everyone just laughed and tugged for their share of blanket. In less than five minutes, they were all sound asleep.

Natasha awoke to sunlight warming her face. Cracking her eyes open just enough to see, she turned her head from side to side. Somehow during the night, everyone had squished together. She was laying half on top of Steve, his upper left arm cushoning her head. Her other half was pressed against Clint's chest. The rest of the heroes were in similar positions. Thor had spread his limbs all over the place, an arm on Steve's face, and a foot against Natasha's leg. Tony and Bruce, being rather wild sleepers, had managed to entangle their arms and legs with everyone elses despite being a decent distance away. To top it off, every single one of them were snoring like there was no tomorrow.

Smiling to herself, she closed her eyes again.

"Hey JARVIS." She called out sleepily, careful not to wake anyone else up.

"Yes, Miss Romanoff?" She heard the polite voice say.

"Do you mind capturing this special moment for future reference?"

"Of course not, Miss." She could've sworn the computer was smiling.

Trying her best to look asleep, Natasha heard the click of a camera. Feeling contentedness wash over her, she cuddled deeper into the pile of limbs. She usually would've been up by now, but she just might make an exception today.

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Author's Note: I hope you liked this One-shot! It took forever for my to do each of their little monologues. I think I've been working on this for like a week! Dang... Well if you feel like being extra generous today, review! Now I'm going to go to bed because its 4:20 in the morning... Geez, the things that I do for y'all... ;)

Night, guys!


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